Auto-rack railcars are generally used to transport vehicles from one location to another over the railroad systems around the world. Various mechanisms and strategies have been utilized to ensure that vehicles remain in their positions during transport, as movement of the vehicles may cause damage to the vehicles and/or to the auto-rack railcar itself.
One mechanism to minimize or otherwise prevent movement of vehicles involves using a vehicle restraint system, such as wheel chocks, strategically positioned adjacent to a vehicle's wheels to restrain the movement of the wheels longitudinally and/or laterally. Wheel chocks are typically made from blocks of rigid material in the shape of a ramp. The ramp portions of the wheel chocks are positioned immediately adjacent the tread of a tire of a vehicle, and are disposed so as not to move, thereby preventing movement of the vehicle.
Auto-rack railcars typically have multiple levels, where a vehicle may be positioned on one of the multiple levels. Therefore, space within an auto-rack railcar may be maximized. Each level typically has a metal grating for a floor, and the wheel chocks are locked into the gratings by teeth or hooks that may extend from the wheel chocks and engage the metal grating, thereby locking the wheel chocks to the metal grating floor.
Once the vehicles are transported to their destinations, the wheel chocks are removed from adjacent the vehicles' wheels, moved out of the way and stored. Otherwise, the wheel chocks may be damaged if run over by the vehicles as the vehicles are unloaded. In addition, they can pose a hazard for individuals who may trip over them, causing injury. Thus, wheel chocks must be stored out of the way so as not to be damaged. Often, wheel chocks are stored against the walls of the auto-rack railcar when not in use. Often, however, wheel chocks cannot be disposed easily on the walls of auto-rack railcars because the walls are typically not made from the same grating as attached to the floors, and the wheel chocks cannot engage the walls as they can on the grating attached to the floors.
It is important that wheel chocks be held securely on the walls of the auto-rack railcars when stored. Often, cars may be coupled and decoupled from each other, causing jarring of the cars. If not secured properly, the wheel chocks may fall off the walls, which may cause damage to the wheel chocks.
Storage pans are typically used to hold wheel chocks on the walls of auto-rack railcars to ensure that the wheel chocks are not jostled or subject to falling off of the walls. The storage pans typically provide a surface for the teeth or hooks of a wheel chock to lock onto, securing the same on the walls of an auto-rack railcar. The storage pans are typically bolted to the side walls of the auto-rack railcars, such as within apertures already present on the walls of the auto-rack railcar. The wheel chocks may thus engage metal bars or the like on the storage pans, holding the wheel chocks in place. A need, however, exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses. Specifically, a need exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses that securely hold wheel chocks against the wall of an auto-rack railcar.
Oftentimes, however, existing storage pans do not allow for the storage of the myriad different types of wheel chocks in existence on the market, or coming into existence on the market. When a different or new type of wheel chock is introduced, auto-rack railcar owners do not want to purchase new storage pans to securely hold the different or new type of wheel chocks. A need, therefore, exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses that securely hold many of the different and/or new wheel chocks that are used in the marketplace. Specifically, a need exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses that may be useful for many different types of wheel chocks.
Often, storage pans utilize a large amount of material and are difficult to manufacture, requiring several different metal structures that must be welded together to form the useful storage pans. A need, therefore, exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses that are simple to manufacture. Moreover, a need exists for improved wheel chock storage apparatuses that minimize materials and cost of manufacture.